Browns insider addresses potential Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders concerns

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry insisted that he doesn't "anticipate" encountering a situation that involves Colorado head coach Deion Sanders telling the Browns that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son, doesn't want to land in Cleveland via the second overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

For a mailbag published on Monday, Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand addressed what remains a figurative elephant in the room following the Senior Bowl. 

"The Browns should draft Sanders only under two conditions," Grossi explained. "They believe he is the best QB in the draft and they have an understanding with Deion that he will not interfere in any way, now or in the future, with the development of Shedeur in the Browns' organization. They should be cognizant of the fact that if [team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam] decide to make a coaching change if 2025 goes sideways, Deion will want to be the next coach of the Browns. For those reasons, the Browns have to be absolutely sure Shedeur is their next franchise QB. Otherwise, there will be trouble ahead." 

Numerous draft analysts have said that neither Shedeur Sanders nor Miami’s Cam Ward is "worth" a top-two selection in any draft. For a mock draft posted on Monday, ESPN's Matt Miller predicted that both the Tennessee Titans (pick No. 1) and the Browns will pass on the two signal-callers. If such a scenario plays out, Cleveland could potentially trade back into the first round to acquire an advertised project for the future such as Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart or Syracuse's Kyle McCord. 

With that said, logic suggests Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski have been tasked with finding a long-term replacement for Deshaun Watson as soon as possible. The Browns and other teams realistically could view Shedeur Sanders as the best quarterback of this draft class by the time the night of April 24 arrives. 

"Sanders has proven to be physically and mentally tough," Grossi added. "That’s important at the quarterback position. He also was very accurate at Colorado and showed a willingness to canvass the field from the pocket." 

Specifically, Sanders completed 74 percent of his pass attempts this past season. As impressive as that is, in-the-know individuals such as Grossi and Miller continue to hint that Sanders and Ward have plenty to prove to quarterback-needy teams such as the Titans and Browns over the next few months.